When she was 16, Hershey Athysivam worked at Peppa Pig World of Play. Courtesy | Hershey Hackberry
Hershey Athysivam, who goes by Hershey Hackberry, is a senior from Dallas, Texas, studying politics with a minor in journalism. She has been an RA for the last three years, serving McIntyre, the WHIP campus, and the Townhomes. She is a Kehoe Family Initiative for Entrepreneurial Excellence Fellow, the social media manager for The Collegian, Chi Omega’s social chair, and a Homecoming court nominee.
What’s your favorite sound?
There’s just something so perfect about a can opening, specifically a Red Bull can. It just hits. It’s better than a regular can opening because the Red Bull tabs have a little red bull, like an actual bull, on the tab. I feel like that just makes it sound more crisper.
What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever stayed awake?
Thirty-six hours. That was last spring, finals week. I pulled an all-nighter in Penny’s and took an exam. I do not recommend it, but it was sponsored by Red Bull.
If you got arrested, what would your friends assume was your crime?
Probably driving on the wrong side of the road. I do this too frequently. I’m not even British. I’ve never been to Britain. I’ve never, ever, needed to drive on the wrong side of the road or park on the wrong side of the road. I definitely always assume that the left is the right and I do have to put my hands up on the steering wheel sometimes.
What is your favorite book, movie, and song?
My favorite book is “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoyevsky, my GOAT. He is the first person I’m talking to in hell. He has my whole heart. My favorite movie is “10 Things I Hate About You.” Classic. We need more people with unapologetic spontaneity and “it” factor. I feel like “10 Things I Hate About You” beautifully captures that. I recently showed this movie to a bunch of Sigma Chis at my house and I think it was a hit. My favorite song is “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan.
What’s the story behind Dhaksberry, your Kehoe business?
I learned to sew when I was 16 because nothing fit me and I wanted to start a clothing business. Mostly I’ve done tailoring. When I went to D.C., a lot of professionals needed their pants hemmed or shirts taken in or sleeves shortened, and I was able to do that because I bought my first sewing machine after I got my first paycheck.
Do you plan to expand Dhaksberry after graduation?
Dhaksberry is a side hustle. I plan to run for office one day. I love D.C. and I’ll definitely move to D.C. after I graduate, but the campaign trail seems exciting. We’ll see where the Lord takes me. But as of right now, it looks like I’m moving to D.C. postgrad and joining the swamp.
What’s a favorite memory from your time in D.C.?
I had the opportunity to make Sen. Ted Cruz a Halloween costume. His deputy chief of staff called me into her office and she was like, “I heard you have a sewing business. Would you be interested in making the senator’s Halloween costume?” And I was like, “Absolutely, what do you need?” And it was a 6-7 T-shirt. That is not exactly the highlight of the memory.
What’s your favorite memory from your time as an RA?
I was a WHIP RA, which is by far my favorite RA job. I was in charge of hosting events. As RA, you’re supposed to build community, and I took that to the max. I decided that we need to throw an all-house birthday party. In December, we had a 17-person birthday party and we invited all of our internship friends to our house. We bought a cake, and it was a great celebration of our long semester away from home. It was called Birthday Palooza. It was so fun.
Why do you love hosting?
There’s just something about everyone laughing over a nice cozy room and good food and good stories and good people. When people come up to me and say “I really needed this” or “I loved this party,” that really warms my heart and brings me so much joy. Honestly, if I can major in anything over again, it would be majoring in hospitality because I think the art of hosting is really lost in this world, and I would like to bring it back.
What is the most “Hillsdale” thing you’ve ever experienced?
I was at Rough Draft at 10 a.m., trying to finish a paper that was due at 11 a.m. In front of me, there are two fundies on a date. Now, I don’t like to use “fundie” because sometimes that can be offensive, but they were very fundie. First off, my question is, what are you doing at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday on a date? But we can get past that. Second, he’s trying to rizz her up with philosophical knowledge, but I honestly could not string two things together about what he was saying. And I don’t think she could either because he was doing most of the talking. Red flag. Then he’s like, “Are we going to take this on another date?” And she was like, “I don’t think so, because you have the traits that I had problems with in my past relationship,” and now I’m invested. I’m no longer working on my paper. And he’s like, “OK, I totally understand. A couple friends and I are trying to do a movie night tonight. Would you be interested in coming?” And I’m like, “What in the smooth out the rejection?” That was the end of it. It was so distracting. Only at Hillsdale would someone go on a second date, the date where it counts, at Rough Draft at 10 a.m., and get rejected.
What do you want to leave as your legacy at Hillsdale?
I want to be remembered as someone who really embodied YOLO. You only live once, so go hang out with that friend, postpone that paper, get off your phone, and go on as many side quests as you can. Major in sidequest-maxxing.
